The Chronicles of the Jabberwock Pirates
by Laboon's Wrath
Summary: Carroll D. Jabber wants to be King of the Pirates, and he and his crew are well on their way there! Feat. appearances by the rgular One Piece cast on occasion, slight canon tweaking here and there. Current story arc: Gourmet Blue.
1. Chapter 1

This is a reprint of my _One Piece _fanfic on Bulbagarden, featuring pirate versions of myself and fellow users. The first chapter is written in first-person as told by Carroll D. Jabber (myself), but the rest (except for a few filler chapters written by other BMGF users) will be in third-person. Shank Mo'Ziro is based off the user Sarcastically Insane, and Vincent Turner is Hide in Plain Sight. Hope you enjoy it!

The Chronicles, Part One: The Jabberwock Pirates and Fuchsia

Today I set out from my village in a small boat with my first mate, Mo'Ziro Shank and my sniper, Vincent Turner. We began our quest to achieve our dreams and become the greatest pirates ever!

***

We moored in a village called Fuchsia, and were immediately accosted by a strange boy in a straw hat. He kept babbling to us about how his name was Monkey D. Luffy and that he was going to be King of the Pirates.

Managing to escape him, we entered a bar. There, we met the bartender, a woman named Makino. She was a good cook, and I considered asking her to join my crew, but decided against it. She explained that Luffy was emulating his childhood idol, who turned out to be none other than Red-Haired Shanks himself.

Shanks had given Luffy his straw hat, telling him to return it when he had become a great pirate. Leaving the bar, we were once again accosted by Luffy. My patience with him reaching its end, I snapped and ordered Turner to shoot the boy. The bullet, to my surprise, did not kill him. Indeed, it seemingly bounced off of him harmlessly.

"I'm a rubberman!" he explained. He had eaten the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit! This was only the third Devil Fruit user I'd ever encountered (the first being me, the second being Shank).

Even though we hadn't actually hurt Luffy, the villagers ran us out of town. As we left, Luffy called out and asked us to come again soon.

Honestly, I think that boy might have some form of brain damage.

Our next destination is Tweety Kingdom, renowned for its historians. Hopefully we will find one of our own there...


	2. Chapter 2

The character of DCM is based off of the _user _called DCM on BMGF. He really wanted to be a parrot.

The Chronicles, Part Two: Our Future Historian?

The fledgling pirate crew weighed anchor at Tweety Kingdom. The pirates soon realized why it was called that: nearly everyone on the island was a bird! The crew needed a historian, though, so they headed to the Tweety Kingdom museum.

It should be noted that it is a well-known fact that all birds in Tweety Kingdom can talk. Therefore, when the crew asked who the best historian in the area was to the museum curator, they addressed a hawk.

"Well," said the curator in answer, "that'd be DCM. He lives over that hill." The curator pointed to a hill outside of the museum.

The crew climbed the hill until they reached a small house. Knocking on the door, they were greeted by a parrot.

"Kakaw! What do you want?" it asked.

"Are you DCM?" asked Turner.

The parrot nodded.

Jabber smiled. "I want you to be my historian," he said. "Join my pirate crew!"

DCM shook his head. "No way," he said. "I won't become a pirate!"

"Aww, come on!"

"NO!"

***

"Sir, do we really have to kidnap all these birds?" Naval Chief Petty Officer Hanson asked Admiral Jackson, his superior.

Jackson glanced at the boy, whose arms were full of jars containing birds, all squealing and shrieking, forgetting their ability to talk in their panic.

"Of course we do," the man replied. "The World Nobles themselves demanded that we give them some of the famous talking birds of Tweety Kingdom. We only need one more." Spotting a small house up a hill, he began walking towards it.

***

"Pleeeeeeeeease join my crew?"

"NO! GO AWAY!" And with that, DCM slammed his door in the crew's faces. Jabber sighed.

"Fine," he said. "Let's go find someone else."

Just as they were beginning to turn away, however, they heard a crash, a smash, and a squack. Whipping around, Jabber threw open the door.

"DCM, are you o...kay..." he trailed off, seeing a large hole in the wall and several Marine officers running from the house.

"They must have kidnapped DCM!" exclaimed Shank.

"After them!" Jabber cried, and the crew began pursuing the Marines.


	3. Chapter 3

The Chronicles, Part Three: Marine Admiral! Devil Fruit Fight!

The pirates followed the Marines to the western shore of the island.

"Stop right there!" Jabber cried out. The Admiral looked back, then stopped and turned around.

"As much as I'd like to deal with you pirates," he said, "I simply don't have the time. Please go away."

Jabber popped his knuckles. "No way," he said. "You've got our historian in one of those jars that kid's holding. We want him back."

"I'm not your historian, kakaw!" DCM cried.

Jabber smiled. "Oh, there you are," he said. "Hey, listen, we're gonna save you, but you have to become our historian in return, okay?"

DCM grumbled to himself unintelligibly for a few seconds, then sighed and said, "Fine. We have a deal, kakaw."

"YES!" Jabber shouted. "Hey, Turner. Shoot this guy, okay?"

Turner grinned. "Sure thing, captain," he said, pulling out a flintlock pistol. He loaded and cocked it, aimed, and pulled the trigger at Admiral Jackson, who did not move.

"Tough-Tough skin armor," the Admiral said. The man's pale skin turned slightly tan. A line pattern appeared on his body. The bullet hit the Admiral in the chest, but did not go through. It stuck out a bit from his chest. He reached down and pulled it out. He then lazily flicked it at a nearby boulder, which shattered. The crew was aghast.

"How...?" said Shank.

"I ate the Tough-Tough Fruit," Jackson explained. "I can turn to stone." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a flintlock rifle. He suddenly threw it like a boomerang at Turner.

"Special technique! Rifle Boomerang!" he cried. The rifle hit Turner with such force that it knocked him out.

"Turner!" said Shank. He turned to face Jackson. "You bastard!" he said.

Jackson laughed. "Now you'll see how I got my name of Stone Fist! Tough-Tough Boulder Rush!" Clenching his fists, he charged at Jabber and Shank. The two pirates jumped out of the way in the nick of time.

"This is crazy!" said Jabber. "How can we fight this guy?"

"I have an idea," said Shank, just loud enough for the Admiral to hear. "Jabber, do you know how rocks break apart?"

Jabber shook his head.

"One way is that water gets into its cracks and freezes. The water cracks it apart from the inside."

"Well, I can only control liquid water!" exclaimed Jabber. "I can't use ice!"

"Just trust me," said Shank. "Get your water into the cracks of his stone body."

"All right," said Jabber. Flowing water from his arms into the cracks of Jackson's skin, he cried out: "Splash-Splash Invasion!"

"Now what?" he asked Shank, who was waving his arms.

Suddenly, Jackson screamed.

"Wh-what are you doing to me? Stop! Stop! I-I'm freezing! Cracking! Help! This is impossible! I am Marine Admiral Jackson! I've never lost! Heeeelp!" Panicking, he let down his Skin Armor.

Shank had used the power of his Fake-Fake Devil Fruit to make Jackson see himself freezing up, placing a placebo effect on him.

Shank seemingly vanished. He was using soru: essentially, super-speed. He reappeared in front of Jackson, who he slashed across the chest with a knife. The Admiral collapsed onto the the ground.

"Admiral!" Chief Petty Officer Hanson cried. He dropped the jars that held the brids. The jars broke on the ground, and all the birds flew away, except for DCM. He stayed, watching the pirates and Marines.

"Give me... a dinghy," Jackson said to Hanson. "I've failed the World Nobles. For you crewmen, this is excusable, but I'd be executed. I'm fleeing. My final act as an Admiral..." he grinned at Hanson. "Is to promote you to Lieutenant." He glanced at the pirates. "Report these pirates to HQ. Give them all bounties. The bird, too."

"Y-yes, sir," said Hanson, tears streaming down his face. He relayed this information to the Marines' ship. They dropped a dinghy down, with some provisions in it. Jackson got on it weakly and started sailing away.

The pirates left, too, with DCM following them. They were heading back to town, to discuss what to do next.


	4. Chapter 4

The swordsman at the end of this chapter is Johan, and he is based off of the user Mijzelffan of BMGF.

The Chronicles Part Four: "A fiery man tells of a navigator! Set a course for the Land of Mushrooms!"

"A fiery man tells of a navigator! Set a course for the Land of Mushrooms!"

The Jabberwock Pirates waited outside of DCM's house. DCM was getting ready to leave inside.

"He's been in there for a while now," noted Shank. "Do you think he might just be waiting for us to leave?"

"No way!" replied Jabber. "He'll honor his promise."

As if on cue, DCM emerged from his house. He was now wearing pants. A backpack was slung across his shoulders. He was also wearing a necklace that had a grey stone looped through it.

"I'm ready to go, _kakaw_," he said.

"All right! C'mon, DCM!" Jabber said happily.

"Actually, my name is Crescenzo Benzo," DCM said. "I just go by DCM when I'm around friends, _kakaw_."

"Well, we're friends aren't we?" asked Shank. "We are crewmates, after all."

DCM smiled. "I guess we are."

***

"And so, I request that you place bounties on the heads of these four pirates!" Lieutenant Hanson said to the Marine administrator on the other end of the Transponder Snail.

"You say their names were Jabber, Shank, Turner, and DCM, correct?"

"Yes."

"Why isn't Admiral Jackson reporting this to me? Didn't you say they fought him?"

"W-well..." Hanson sighed. "He's defected. He said that he would be executed for failing the World Nobles, so he ran away."

"Well, then, I'm afraid that I'll have to put a bounty on the Admiral's head as well. The Navy does not tolerate defectors!"

"Y-yes, sir."

***

"WHAT!!?" shouted DCM. "You're headed to the Grand Line and you don't even have a NAVIGATOR??!!"

"Nope," replied Jabber. "Should we?"

"OF COURSE YOU SHOULD!!!" DCM shook his head. "The seas in the Grand Line are treacherous and deadly. We won't survive ten seconds there unless we have an experienced navigator who can guide us through, _Kakaw_!"

"Well, we'll just find a navigator and head for the Grand Line," said Jabber, stepping into their boat.

"That's not all we need!" DCM cried. "We also need a cook and a ship, at the very least!"

"Fine," sighed Jabber. "Just get in the boat already."

"I couldn't help but overhear your need for a navigator," came a voice from behind them.

The crew whipped around and saw a shirtless, black haired man standing on their boat. The man wore an orange hat, and had many freckles on his face.

"You... you're 'Fire Fist' Ace!" exclaimed Turner.

"No way!" said Jabber. "The second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates?"

"That's me," chuckled Ace.

"What are you doing here?" asked Shank.

"I was taking a nap on this boat," replied Ace. "I hope you don't mind."

"Hold on," said Shank. "You said something about a navigator."

"Oh, yeah," said Ace. "I know where you can find one."

"Really?!? Where?" asked Jabber.

"He's a wandering swordsman," explained Ace. "But recently he was marooned on the island of Mushroomland, southeast of here. I'll warn you, though - he'll be tough to convince to join up with you. I asked him five times to join Whitebeard's crew, but he didn't even budge."

"We'll figure something out," said Jabber. "Thanks!"

"Anytime," Ace said, hopping onto a slender, yellow boat. "Oh, and if you see a kid named Luffy in your travels..." he grinned. "Tell him his brother said hello." He then turned his feet into flames, using his Flame-Flame Devil Fruit powers. The flames heated up the craft's engine, and Ace sailed away.

"All right!" declared Jabber. Set sail for Mushroomland! Let's get our navigator!

***

On the island of Mushrooms, a lone swordsman wielding a spatha swung and struck a mushroom-shaped boulder. He then repeated the process.

_Damn him,_ he thought. _Damn that bastard, Kendo. Stranding me here - taking every lead I had to the Naturamica's location! I__**will**__have it! I just have to get off this island on my own. I can't trust anyone ever again! I'll hunt Kendo down, and I'll beat him; take back what he stole! I will succeed! I will win! I-_ he shattered the boulder. _-WILL FIND THE LEGENDARY SWORD OF NATURE!_


	5. Bonus Chapter 1: Spotlight on Shank

Bonus chapter 1: "Shank remembers the past! Flashback of the Jabberwock Pirate's first mate!"

(Written by Sarcastically Insane)

I reached up and brushed my reddish-blonde hair from his eyes with his hand. I would need to cut it soon… nah, it'd just grow back. There are better ways to spend my energy. Like drinking, as I would find out later.

But not now. I'm seven… or is it eight? Six? My memory isn't as good when I'm in a hangover in these dreams. But sobering up isn't an option. On the high seas, what else will I do?

But back to the dream.

"What a runt!" the bandit said, laughing. Now _he_ was drunk. His little group of bandits were, too. And they had done something stupid, too.

My cheek was sticky with blood. The head bandit had some kind of ring on his three middle fingers. I was at the bar, and he backslapped me, then continued to drink and nearly beat the bartender to death. Now I had hunted him down, though my cheek would need to be stitched before it scarred.

Well, maybe I would leave it be. A nice scar adds to your reputation.

I reached down to the three knives I had on my left hip… or did I reach for the three on my right? No matter, whichever three knives I picked, I grabbed them. One with its handle in my mouth, one in each hand. Each about three inches long.

"This is the 'Santōryū'," I said, sure the two kids watching me from the bushes were listening. Sure, they were the same age as me and sure, Santōryū means 'three sword style', but it sounded cool.

The drunken bandits never had a chance. The leader rushed me, only to have his stomach cut open- one of the kids instantly threw up. Moss-head, I called him.

The other bandits were a bit more cautious. I nicked one before he got away- a small cut on the knuckle. Painful, but not disabling. Then two more grabbed my arms from behind, making me drop my two knives.

"Got'cha now, kid," one of them said. "You're gonna pay for what'cha did to our boss."

Unfortunately, the knife in my mouth was pointed to my right, and the bandit on my right knew it. The bandit on my left, however, was less sober, apparently. I unclenched my teeth for a split second as my tongue flicked the knife handle, switching it to pointing left. I stabbed the drunken bandit in the hand, and he let go of me. My left hand quickly grabbed another knife to make the other bandit back off. I was free.

Then a bandit rushed me, only to goet his jugular sliced. Others followed in similar fashions. Grown men, felled by a seven year old with little knives.

***

The dream changed now, from my first real fight using Santōryū to when I ate the Fake-Fake Devil Fruit. I was twelve. Twelve and stupid.

However stupid I was, though, I wasn't a complete idiot- if this fruit poisoned me, the traps I had lain would take down the fool peddler who tried to trick me. I took a small bite of the purple, swirly fruit- and nearly threw up. I threw the rest of the pineapple shaped… thing, for no fruit could taste this bad, as far as I could. The old peddler ran after it, hoping he might sell it again. I had already paid, fool that I was.

Of course, the fruit tasted so bad my vision blurred- or so I thought. The inland trees swayed until the old peddler ran straight into one, falling over and yelling 'ow!" He even made a comical 'plop' when his rotund form hit the sand.

I blinked, hoping I might make some money back by helping the old fool… and saw that he hadn't hit a tree at all. He hadn't even tripped- he was just standing there, looking around like an amnesiac.

Though I didn't realize it right away, I had the Fake-Fake powers. Illusion, the ability to change perception. Tricking all five senses to create a fake world.

I only needed to learn how to use them.

***

Once again the dream shifted, this time to a… curious man who was obviously drunk. I was nineteen soon- it was recent. The drunk claimed to have seen a man fall to water- not _into_ water, he _became_ water in the fall. I disregarded him until he walked straight to me.

"In fact," he slurred, "he shezz you's is the people's hezz lookin fer. The Devil Fruit man, the Fake-Fake man, the-,"

He was cut off by an untimely punch to his face. Of course, everyone else just though he fainted from the drink… and hit his head on the table on the way down. _Very_ hard.

***

Neptune, god of the seas, how many times must my dreams change a night?

"You could be my first mate!" the man exclaimed to me. While I say 'man', it is only because he is older than me. He isn't the most mature.

"What, your current crew not good enough to have a half-decent first mate?" I asked. "Unless you can come up with a good reason that it must be me for your first mate-,"

"You'll be the first to join, so you'll be the first mate!" he exclaimed. "Our pirate crew will never fail if I have someone like you to help me!"

While I would never admit it, even if I was hammered with the best on the ocean, the guy had something about him. Charisma, maybe. But something told me he wasn't lying. He would take anyone in, probably, and make a halfway decent, dysfunctional crew that would get crushed in seconds on the Grand Line, but I couldn't resist trying. Just maybe, I thought. Just maybe.

So I agreed. I went home and grabbed my burnt orange vest with a long left sleeve, the one that I hide a knife sheath in. I grabbed some baggy pants, most of them cut off halfway down my shins, for the same reason; concealing weapons. I was wearing my only shoes, so I didn't look for them.

So the first mate of the Jabberwock Pirates joined the only other member, the captain. A nineteen-year-old, emerald-eyed, red-haired youth with a scar on his face and a mug in his hand, following a blonde, happy-go-lucky pirate that could control water and would probably get me killed; a pirate crew of nothing but Devil Fruit users isn't the greatest idea.

Then I hit the floor.

"I swear, if DCM is playing with the ship's wheel again, I'll chain his wings to the side of his body and have Turner shoot him to the World Nobles so they can have their damned talking bird!"

/////////////////////////////

Pirate's Profile

Name: Mo'Ziro Shank  
Epitath: "Fake Blade" Shank  
Age: 19  
Position: First mate  
Bounty: 1,000 (he said he was sorry about the cabbage cart, okay?), but his bounty is only so low because of his illusionary abilities. Now that he is a pirate, it is expected to grow exponentially.  
Devil Fruits: Fake-Fake Fruit, which allows him to control illusions. His illusions can trick any of the five senses, or any combination of the five senses, though it is harder to do the more complex it is. He can only create illusions somewhere he has been in the past 24 hours,  
Abilities: Fights in the Santoryu, with a knife in each hand and in his mouth. He developed this style when he was young, and has always been an accomplished knife-user. Two kids the same age as him once saw him dispatch a group of bandits this way amazed by the style. However, Shank can use the style many ways, since his knives are double-sided, so he can switch their directions throughout the fight; if needed, he even flips the one in his mouth around with his tongue.  
Weapons: from most-used to least:  
1)Knives hidden throughout his clothes  
2)Close-range darts and throwing knives, same as above  
3)clubs and other blunt weapons like maces and brass knuckles  
4)Savate, a French fighting style of kicks  
5)pistols  
6)poisons  
7)traps, specifically disorientating ones  
8)anything explosive, including explosive traps  
9) driving them crazy with Devil Fruit so they attack themselves without knowing it  
10) having my opponents fight each other with #9  
11)traps, specifically pointy ones  
12) razor wire  
13)combinations of the above 12  
Appearance: Has an orange vest that he wears open, and it also has a long left sleeve, covering his entire arm. He uses this because he has a knife sheath under the sleeve. He has reddish-blonde hair, emerald green eyes, baggy pants that are cut off at the shins, and an animal scratch on his left cheek. Because of his scar, name, reddish hair, and apparently missing arm, he is often mistaken for Red-Haired Shanks.  
Personality: While not a killjoy, he is more serious than his captain and the more playful members they may recruit later on. His captain has remarked more than once, "You're more fun when you're drunk", and if he isn't in battle (and even then, sometimes), planning a battle, or acting official and getting everyone to help out, he's probably drunk.


	6. Chapter 5

The Chronicles, part 5: What a Weird Island! Adventure in the Land of Mushrooms!

"I see it!" Turner cried. "A huge mountain shaped like a mushroom! We've arrived at Mushroomland!"

The other crew members cheered.

"We're finally here!" Jabber shouted with delight. "Now to find that mystery swordsman and get him to join our crew!

The "mystery swordsman," as it so happened, was taking a walk down a beach near where the Jabberwock Pirates were due to land. He unsheathed his sword to gaze at it for a second.

_Soon, Servunatu,_ he thought. _Soon, we will leave this place and renew our search for__**it**__: the Naturamica, the legendary sword of nature. We just have to track down Kendo first.... and make him pay._

The Jabberwocks weighed anchor at a dock near a port town. The first thing they noticed was that _everything_ seemed to be made of mushrooms: the "grass" was actually colonies of tiny mushrooms, the clothes on the people were adorned with mushrooms both real and sewn, and even the houses looked like the fungus.

"Welcome, welcome, to Mushroomland!" a beaming woman in a green-and-red dress and with a mushroom-shaped at said to the pirates. "My name is Wak Wayn, and I will be your host! Can I help you with anything?"

Jabber nodded.

"We're looking for a mystery swordsman so that I can ask him to be the navigator in my pirate crew. Do you know anything about him, by any chance?"

Wayn bit her lip. "Yes," she admitted. "He was abandoned here by his partner a few weeks ago. We've offered to help him leave the island several times, but he doesn't trust anyone anymore. He'll occasionally walk by here, though." She spotted a figure approaching from the west. "That's him!" she exclaimed, pointing at the figure.

"Yes!" cried Jabber, and the crew rushed to greet the swordsman.

The swordsman, whose name was Johan, stopped walking when he saw the pirates running towards him.

"Who are you?" he asked the blonde man who appeared to be their leader.

"My name is Carroll D. Jabber!" he replied. "I'm forming a pirate crew, and I want you to be my navigator."

Johan scoffed at this idea. "I refuse," he said.

"Well, I refuse," said Jabber.

"What?" Johan asked, confused.

"I refuse your refusal," Jabber explained. He grinned. "I want you to be my navigator, so you will. I'll figure out a way to convince you."

Johan scowled and drew his sword. "Leave me alone," he said, "or I will strike you down where you stand!"

The crew simply laughed.

"Do you think I'm lying?" Johan shouted.

Shank grinned. "As a matter of fact, yes," he said. "I know a bluff when I hear one."

Johan scowled.

"You know, we're headed for Raftel, where the One Piece is located," DCM piped up. "There's a good chance that the Naturamaica is located there, _kakaw_."

Johan's eyes widened. "How do you know about that?" he inquired.

"I ate the Think-Think Fruit, _kakaw_," DCM explained. "I can remember nearly everything that's ever happened since the Void Century, with a few snippets within and before it. You have been seeking the Naturamaica with your partner Bushi Kendo since you were both children. Several weeks ago, Kendo betrayed you: he stole all of your clues, data, and your ship and marooned you here, _kakaw_. Am I right?"

Johan nodded. "Yes," he admitted. "Finding the Naturamaica... I'd give anything to do that." He glared at the crew. "But I still won't be a pirate! I can't trust anyone anymore! I have to find the Naturamaica on my own!"

"The Naturamaica?" came a voice from atop a mushroom-shaped rock. Everyone looked up to see a green-haired, blue-eyed, tan-skinned man with sword in holster crouching on the rock.

"Kendo," Johan breathed.

"Still looking for that thing, Johan?" Kendo asked as he hopped down from the rock. "I thought I'd killed your hopes of finding that thing when I marooned you here."

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Johan yelled at Kendo.

"Are you threatening me?" asked Kendo. He drew his sword, which looked like a cross between a _katana_ and a scimitar.

"Do you honestly think that you _killed_ my hopes of finding that sword, Kendo?" Johan asked as he drew his sword. "Really? My hopes aren't an animal. They aren't a plant. They aren't even a germ! THEY'RE A DREAM!" He charged at Kendo. "AND YOU CAN'T! KILL! A DREAM!" He slashed at Kendo. "STRIKE! AMBITIONS OF THE FUTURE WARRIOR!"


	7. Chapter 6

The Chronicles, part 6: A battle of honor! Johan vs. Kendo!

"STRIKE! The enraged bull's charge!"

Johan slashed at Kendo in a crescent pattern. His opponent dodged it.

"Still using those pathetic 'strikes,' Johan?" Kendo chuckled. "They were never even that powerful!"

"Really?" replied Johan. "I beg to differ. STRIKE! Corrupted Rain!" Johan slashed randomly, but never scored a hit.

"Taglio dei pesci spada!" Kendo cried, and he slashed across Johan's sword arm. Johan cried out in pain and clutched his arm.

"Ready to give up?" Kendo asked.

"We've got to help him!" cried Shank.

"NO!" yelled Johan. "I.. I can't trust you. I... can't thrust anyone!"

"Screw that," said Turner. "Come on, he needs our -"

"No," said Jabber, and he spread his arms out to keep the others from entering the fray. "This is Johan's fight. If he doesn't want our help... then there's nothing we can do."

"Very well," said DCM. "However, Johan, a word of advice: remember what your mother told you."

Johan's eyes widened as he remembered.

_"Remember what I'm about to tell you, Johan," the brown-haired woman said to her 10-year-old son. "There will come times in life when you will feel betrayed by your friends; you will feel as if you cannot trust anyone again, as if you'll want to die." She smiled. "When this happens, reject those feelings. They only cause more pain. Never lose faith in yourself or in friendship. Eventually, you will find friends who will never betray you; who will always stand by your side. They will help you find that sword you seek, Johan. Trust in them, and they will never fail you."___

_The young boy listened, but not very intently._ Kendo will never betray me, _he thought._ We're best friends! We'll find the Naturamaica and have a duel to see who gets to keep it. _It is ironic, really, how wrong he was._

_Friends will come_, his mother had said. _Friends who will never betray you._ Could these pirates be the friends she was talking about? Only one way to find out.

"Say goodbye," said Kendo. "Pugnalata della trebbiatrice!" he thrust downward with his sword just as Johan rolled out of the way.

"No way," said Kendo.

"STRIKE!" screamed Johan, rushing towards Kendo. "Farewells to Former Friends!" He stabbed Kendo slightly northeast of the heart. Kendo collapsed.

"Hey," Johan said, "you guys."

"Hm?" said Jabber.

"If... if I trust you.... and join your crew..." he turned to face the pirates, tears streaming down his face. "Would... w-would you... never betray me? Would you always s-stand by me? Would... would you be my f-friends... 'til the end?"

"Of course," replied Jabber. What kind of a stupid question is that? We'd always be friends."

"All right then," said Johan. "Cap'n Jabber, you've got yourself a navigator!"


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Goodbye, Mushroomland! The Jabberwock pirates set sail with a navigator!  


"You mean it?" Jabber asked Johan.

Johan nodded. "Yes," he said, "I'll be your navigator. I just remembered what a very important person once told me." he smiled. "Never give up on friendship."

"Hooray!! We have a navigator!" Jabber yelled, full of joy.

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING!!?" Johan screamed at him.

"Get used to it," Shank laughed. "Our captain's not exactly the sharpest guy around."

"We have a navigator, we have a navigator," Jabber sang merrily.

Johan smiled and laughed. "What have I gotten myself into?" he asked himself.

"Excuse me!" cried Wak as she hurried towards the crew. "Are you the pirate known as Carroll D. Jabber?"

"Huh? Yeah, that's me," confirmed Jabber.

"And are you his pirate crew?" she asked the others.

They nodded.

"Well, then," she said, "I'm afraid that you must leave."

"Huh? Why?" asked Turner.

"We welcome pirates as long as they don't have prices on their heads," explained Wak, "but we simply cannot harbor wanted criminals."

"Look, I _said_ I was sorry about the cabbage cart!" protested Shank.

"What? No, it's nothing about that," said Wak, and she pulled four posters out of her bag. "These are wanted posters," she said as she handed each to its respective pirate. "You all have bounties."

"Mine is 100,000 Berri," DCM said.

"Mine is 250,000," Turner said.

"300,000," said Shank.

"HAHA!" laughed Jabber. "I got a 500,000 Berri bounty!" He grinned. "I beat all of you; I beat all of you," he sang.

"IT ISN'T A CONTEST!" the others shouted at him.

"Hey, Johan, where's your bounty?" Jabber asked.

"I literally joined you two minutes ago," Johan replied. "Why would I have a bounty at this point?"

"Oh, yeah."

Wak cleared her throat. "Um, pirates?" she said. "I'm afraid that you have to go now."

"Awwwwww," sighed Jabber. "Fine. C'mon, guys."

They boarded the boat, which was starting to become crowded.

"All right!" said Jabber. "To the Grand Line!"

"NOT YET!" yelled DCM. "WE STILL NEED A SHIP AND A COOK! WHAT PART OF THAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND??!"

"Awwwwwww," sighed Jabber. "Fine."

"I know a place famous for its shipwrights," offered Johan. "It's southwest of here. It's called Port Washington."


	9. Special 2: Spotlight on Jabber

The Chronicles, special chapter 2: The captain's past! Jabber's secret history!

"Are we there yet?" I asked.

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"NO!" Johan yelled. "NO, JABBER, WE ARE **NOT** AT PORT WASHINGTON YET! WHEN WE ARE, YOU"LL BE THE FIRST TO KNOW!"

"Well, you don't have to yell at me," I said.

Johan sighed. "Look just go do… something… that doesn't involve me."

"Okay." And with that, I exited the navigation area. I decided that since I had just finished a nap an hour ago, I was about due for another. I crawled inside my sleeping bag… and fell asleep… immediately…

"'Sea King' Jabber wins another race!" the announcer cried as I emerged from the lake. 'Sea King' Jabber, that was me: the best swimmer in my village. My mother rushed toward the lake to greet and hug me. I'd never met my father, but he was supposedly a famous pirate. I had no interest in piracy, myself. I wanted to become a brave, honest Marine. I'd uphold justice and always tell the truth – I was sure that that was a necessary trait for a Marine. Honesty. It was probably in the handbook: _a Marine should never lie._

A couple of the other kids were looking jealous. They were from a nearby village, and they were always sore losers. They were probably upset that I'd be going up against them in the finals – and win, as I always did.

Later, the kids came up to me.

"'Sea King' Jabber, right?" one of them asked me.

"That's me," I said with a smile.

"We just wanted to wish you luck in the finals with this. My parents gave it to me," he said, and handed me a box of medium size. Inside, there was a green pumpkin-shaped fruit with a swirly design on it.

"Oooh, swirly," I said, and immediately took a bite. I then immediately spat it back out.

"Tha'th nathty," I said. "Oh, I get it, you're playing a prank on me. Giving me a bad-tasting fruit, how very _funny_."

"That's not the half of it," laughed another one of the kids. "That's a Devil fruit! It'll give you magical powers… but you'll never be able to swim again! Hahahaha!"

"Looks like we won't be seeing you in the finals after all," said the first kid. "That is – unless you gotta death wish!"

"That's the Splash-Splash Fruit, by the way," the second kid said. "It lets ya turn into water. It's funny: that was the power your father, 'Ocean's Master' Carrol D. Walruz had!"

"And only one of each Devil Fruit can exist at a time," said the first kid. "You get it? Yer dad's dead! Hahahaha! Yer a half-orphan! Sucks to be you!"

"See ya, anchor boy!" said a third kid as the group walked away. "Oh, wait, I guess not! Hahahaha!"

"MOM! MOM!" I screamed at my mother.

"Calm down," she laughed. "What is it?"

"There were these kids and they tricked me into eating the Splash-Splash fruit and they said that there can only be one of each Devil Fruit at a time, and… and…" I began to cry. "**And they said that Dad is dead!**" I sobbed. "Is… is it true?"

She bent down and hugged 10-year-old me, calming me down.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I was going to tell you when you were older…" she sniffled, and I knew that she was crying too.

"Yes, Jabber," she said. "Your father _is _dead."

"NO!" I yelled. "NO! NO! NO! NO!"

"Jabber," she said gently, "death happens. Sometimes… you… you just have to accept it, and let people… go."

I began to bawl.

Three weeks later, a boom was heard from the neighboring island, then another, and more, until the storm of _boom_s was drowning out nearly everything else.

My mother and I ducked outside to see what was going on. A fleet of navy warships had surrounded the neighboring island, and were firing upon it, obliterating everything.

"Buster Call," my mother whispered.

I didn't care what it was, the Navy was destroying an island! But why?

_There… there must have been too many pirates infesting that island to control_, I thought quickly. _Yeah, that's it! They had no other choice!_

In time, the warships left, and all that remained of the island was a smoking hunk of land sitting in the middle of the ocean.

That night, there was a knock upon our door. My mother opened it, and a tall, sad-eyed man with silver hair stood in the doorway.

"Please," the man begged her, "let me stay here a while. I… I'm a survivor of that Buster Call. I'm begging you, I have nowhere else to go!"

Pitying the man, my mother let him in.

"Jabber, this man will be staying on the floor in your room, okay?"

"'Kay, mom!"

The man entered my room. "Hello," he said. "My name is Gharia. What's yours?"

"Carroll D. Jabber," I replied.

"Pleased to meet you, Jabber."

"So you're a survivor of that… thingy?"

"The Buster Call, yes."

"Why did the Navy do that, anyway?"

Gharia glanced at me. "We knew too much," he said. "We had learned details of the Void century. The World Government doesn't want anyone learning of that, so we were exterminated like vermin.

"We had also found several Devil Fruits growing on the island." He reached into the backpack he wore and pulled out a box. He opened it, and inside was a pear-shaped fruit with the same swirly pattern the Splash-Splash Fruit had bore. "This was the only one I could salvage: the Gator-Gator Fruit." He put the fruit back into the box, which he handed to me. "Take it," he said. "I don't want it anymore. I lost my entire family – my entire homeland in that attack, because of this fruit and the others like it. It brings back too many painful memories."

I took the box, and wondered to myself, _how could the Navy do something that cruel?_

Gharia stayed at our house for a several weeks. He helped with chores, work, and went with us on outings. He became like family, and he and I were best friends. For the first few days, he was mostly silent and never smiled, but he soon opened himself up to us. He was playful, funny, nice, and smart. I think Mom might have even been falling in love with him, though he never noticed. Then, one day, a small group of Marines arrived at our door.

"Is this the Carroll D. residence?" the leader of the group asked my mom. She nodded.

"We have gotten reports that a survivor of last month's Buster Call is living here," he said. "We wish to see him."

"You'll never get to Gharia!" I exclaimed. "I won't let you hurt him!"

"Hurt him?" the leader looked shocked. "We don't want to hurt him. We just want to… ask him a few questions."

_A Marine should never lie. _I stepped aside. "All right, then," I said.

The Marine leader entered the room where Gharia was sitting.

"Are you Salvador Gharia, leader of the Lotus Kingdom archaeological team?" the leader asked Gharia.

"I am."

"Well, then," the leader said, "I regret to inform you that we cannot allow a survivor of the Buster Call to live. It's proper protocol, really, nothing personal." The leader drew a flintlock.

"No…" I whispered. He… had lied.

The leader pulled the trigger. The bullet passed through Gharia's skull. He was killed instantly.

"NO!!" I screamed. I charged at the leader. "A Marine should never lie! A Marine should never lie!"

He drew his sword and carved an "X" on my left arm. I screamed in pain.

"I have no interest in killing a child," he said. "Quite unnecessary."

"Go to hell!" I yelled at him. "I'll never become a Marine! They're all just a bunch of liars! I… I'll avenge Gharia someday! I… I'll become a pirate!"

The leader laughed. I could still hear him laughing as my dream faded.

"Jabber! Jabber, wake up!" Shank cried. I opened my eyes.

"Whuzzere?" I asked groggily.

"We're here, Jabber," Shank said. He led me out of the cramped sleeping quarters and pointed at the port town that lay dead ahead. "There it is," Shank told me. "Port Washington!"

* * *

Pirates' profile: Carroll D. Jabber

Name: Carroll D. Jabber  
Epitath: "Sea Tamer" Jabber  
Age: 20  
Position: Captain  
Bounty: 500,000 Berri  
Devil Fruits: Splash-Splash Fruit. Allows him to turn into water, and control it as well. This includes "hard water," which he can use to create weapons.  
Abilities: Can use a sword, but is not a master. Good at predicting the weather at sea.  
Weapons: Sword  
Appearace: Short yellow hair, green eyes, scar in the shape of an "X" on his left arm. Medium-sized waistline. Slightly tan skin.  
Personality: A bit like Monkey D. Luffy in that he will do nearly anything to achieve his dream, but will always put friends first.


	10. Chapter 8

(NOTE: The character of Malibu Zephyr is based on Bulbagarden user Phoenicks)

The Chronicles, Part 8: Port Washington! Find a ship!

"There it is!" Shank cried, pointing at the port town dead ahead. "Port Washington!"

"Yyyyyyyes!" Jabber yelled. "How long 'til we make landfall?"

"About seven minutes," replied Shank.

"That's too long," said Jabber. "I'll just use my powers to speed things up a little."

"No, Jabber!" said Shank. "Remember the last time you did that!"

***

_"Hey," said Shank. "Jabber."___

_"Yeah?" Jabber replied.___

_"If you can control water, shouldn't you be able to make this boat go any faster? We've been approaching that island for an hour now."___

_"I guess," Jabber shrugged. "I'll try it." He took a deep breath, then thrust both of his arms forward. The sea propelled the boat forward at a breakneck pace. This continued for a few seconds until Jabber cried out in pain and collapsed. The boat abruptly stopped.___

_"Jabber!" Shank cried in alarm. "Guess it puts too much strain on him." He sighed. "Better wait for him to wake up."_

***

"Yeah, well, this time'll be different," Jabber said.

"How do you know that?" asked Shank.

Jabber shrugged. "I dunno," he said. "I just know." Before Shank could protest further, Jabber thrust his arms forward and the boat rocketed ahead.

"Jabber, stop!" yelled Turner. "We're gonna crash!"

But Jabber paid no heed. Port Washington grew closer and closer. Jabber cried out as before and collapsed, but the boat did not immediately stop. It hurtled towards the docks.

"Everyone out!" Shank yelled. He grabbed Jabber and leapt from the boat onto the docks. the others followed his lead. The boat crashed into the docks and shattered into many pieces.

"Well," said Johan, "I suppose it's good that we're marooned in a city known for its shipwrights, at least."

***

Later, the crew, including Jabber (who had woken up), were perusing the shipbuilding services' shops. None of them piqued their interest, however. Finally, they entered a small, black, out of the way shop at the end of an alley. They were greeted by a strange sight indeed.

The man had greasy blue hair and was in a wheelchair. He wore a muscle shirt that had an artificial hole in its middle. There were similar holes on both of his legs and both of his arms.

Speaking of his arms, they were malformed and resembled wings, with lines about them that looked like feathers.

"Welcome to Underground Cyborg Shipwrights," the man said. "My name is Malibu Zephyr."


	11. Chapter 9

The Chronicles, Part 9: Enter Malibu Zephyr and the Cyborg Shipwrights!

"Welcome to Underground Cyborg Shipwrights," the man said. "My name is Malibu Zephyr."

"Aren't you gonna introduce us?" said a cheerful redheaded girl who walked up behind Zephyr. She was flanked by two men.

"Oh, sorry," said Zephyr. "These are my associates."

The girl had red hair kept in pigtails and brown eyes. Her right arm and left foot were robotic. She had scars all over her body. Zephyr introduced her as Hikari.

The first man wore a helmet with a chicken-shaped crest. He had blue hair and a pointy, silver nose. His chin was round and had stubble flecked throughout it. His right arm was cybernetic. He wore polka-dotted boxers. His name, according to Zephyr, was Talos.

The final man was fat. He wore glasses and suspenders, with a large red bowtie fastened to his checkerboard shirt. His right leg was robotic, and his left foot had a shoe that was designed as such that it collapsed and rose up again when he walked like an accordion. He had a cleft chin. Zephyr identified him as Locutus.

"We're the cyborg shipwrights," Zephyr said. "How can we help you?"

"We need a ship," said Johan. "Preferably Caravel-class; fast but sturdy."

"I'll see what we can do."

Jabber was not listening. He was staring hard at Zephyr. Finally, he spoke.

"You look cool," he said. "Join my crew."

"What?" Zephyr said, a bit confused.

"I said, join my crew," repeated Jabber.

"Um... no thanks," said Zephyr.

"Awwwww, come on!"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"I have a promise to keep. I can't leave until I do."

Jabber sighed in frustration.

Suddenly, a smashing sound was heard outside.

"I'll check what's going on," said Talos. He peered out the window, then whipped around and belted out an order: "Hikari, hide! It's mayor Dello!"

Hikari's eyes widened and she darted into the back room.

The door to the shop opened, and in stepped a black-haired man with bags under his eyes and an upturned nose. He wore black pants, a grey shirt, and a dark blue vest. He examined the shop.

"Just to let you know," the man said, "the deadline to pay tribute is in three days. if you cannot pay, I will have to shut your business down." The man then exited the shop.

"Who was that?" asked Shank.

"That was Dello Are," snarled Locutus. "He's the mayor of Port Washington. He impeached the former mayor, and ever since he's been charging an unreasonable amount of tribute money that shopowners must pay to keep their stores open. He's incredibly corrupt, if you haven't already guessed."

"It's hard to believe that people like that still exist in this world," sighed Turner.

"I hate him," Zephyr suddenly said. "He took my mother away from me."

"So, the little brat is still alive," Dello Are muttered to himself. "Winged freak. Maybe it's time I finish the job I started with his mother."


	12. Chapter 10

The Chronicles, Part 10: Kidnapped! Zephyr taken by Dello Are!

"What do you mean, he 'took your mother from you?'" Shank asked.

Zephyr looked away. "It was back when Dello first came into power," he explained. "He took office by force. Not a lot of people were particularly happy about this, and so a couple of them rebelled. Dello... really didn't like that. He was so angry that he had his soldiers completely destroy a whole section of Port Washington. The same section my mother and I lived in." He began to cry. "I was one of only six survivors. Three of the others work here in this shop. You see my wheelchair? I have to use it as a result of the attack." He began to remember that fateful day.

_The streets burned. Exposions, screams, and pleads for mercy could be heard. The soldiers paid no heed. They were led by the black-haired man, who was laughing his head off at the sight of the destruction.___

_"You see, people?" he chortled. "This is what happens when you defy Dello Are, your new and great mayor! I am the greatest leader in this town's history, don't you forget it! Every time someone rebels, I'll destroy another part of the city! Pwahahahahahaha!"___

_The woman clutched her child closely to her. His wing-like arms were wrapped around her waist. The child began to whimper, but she shushed him.___

_"We mustn't make a noise, Zephyr," she whispered. "If we can just make it back to the reactor, we may have a chance." She made a run for it, but Dello spotted her.___

_"Halt!" he said. The woman, fearful of what he might do if she disobeyed, stopped in place.___

_Dello walked up to her; examined her closely.___

_"Yes," he muttered. "She'll do marvelously." He clapped his hands together. "All right!" he said. "You shall be my wife! You're a lucky one. You'll be spared from all this destruction. Get in my carriage."___

_"Oh, thank you," the woman said. She was about to enter the carriage when Dello piped up again.___

_"Wait a minute." The woman turned to face him.___

_"What is it?"___

_"I didn't say that__**he**__could come," said Dello, pointing to Zephyr. "He's a freak. throw him away."___

_"What?!" the woman said, shocked. "I will not! I'd never do that to my child!"___

_"Very well," shrugged Dello. "Then you will both die!" He ripped Zephyr from the woman's arms and threw him over into an alleyway just as the roof of a building above it collapsed, crushing the boy's legs. Zephyr could only watch in horror as Dello himself shot and killed his mother._

"A few days later," Zephyr said, "Locutus and Talos found me. We found Hikari a few hours afterward. We built my chair, turned ourselves into cyborgs, and started up the business. I've been covering my upper body whenever Dello is scheduled to come in, but this time, I forgot to. I just hope he didn't recognize me."

"That's so tragic," sniffed Turner. "You've really had a hard life."

Zephyr sighed. "Look, your ship will be built tomorrow. You can stay in the loft above the shop tonight."

"Thank you," said Shank.

"Wake up!" Hikari pleaded with the crew.

"Wha...?" asked Johan, half-asleep.

"It's Zephyr," Hikari cried. "He's been kidnapped by Dello Are's men! They showed up five minutes ago and just... took him! We tried to stop them, but they beat us easily!"

"WHAT!? Our shipwright's been stolen!?" Jabber yelled. "We've gotta rescue him!"

"He's probably been taken to the mayoral office in town square," said Hikari. "Here's a map!" she handed them a piece of paper with a scale illustration of Port Washington on it. "Please," she begged. "Please bring him back!"

"Don't worry," Jabber said. "We won't let you down." He turned to the others. "Come on, guys," he said to them. "Let's go save our shipwright!


	13. Chapter 11

The Chronicles, Part 11: The Sniper Shines! Turner vs. the Gorilla-Man!

The pirate crew rushed into the mayoral office, Turner lagging behind slightly. It was lucky for him that he did - A trapdoor almost immediately opened up from underneath the top four members. Jabber, Shank, and Johan fell through, but DCM did not; he was flying.

"Guys!" Turner yelled, startled. He turned to DCM. "You can remember everything, right?" he said. "So why didn't you warn us?"

"A lot of things I have to _want_ to remember!" DCM said. "If I remembered everything at one, my mind would stop working from the sheer effort!"

Turner sighed. "What we need to do is find a way down there that doesn't involve a trapdoor," he said.

"There!" said DCM, pointing to a wall.

"DCM, that's..." Turner began, but he was cut off by DCM.

"Not if I press this part of the wall, _kakaw_," the parrot said. He used his foot to press down on the wall. Suddenly, right next to DCM's foot, the wall slid open, revealing a stairway.

"You'll have to go down there alone, _kakaw_," said DCM. "I have no way of fighting, so I'll go get the cyborgs as reinforcements."

"Fine," said Turner. "Just one thing before you go - how did you know that the wall was fake?"

"I willed myself to remember an alternative entrance," said DCM, "and I remembered that there was one in the wall, of course. Now hurry up, our crew could be in danger!"

"You're a difficult one to kill," Dello Are said to the blue-haired young man strapped to the table. "We've tried lethal injection, but you seem to be immune to that, and the cybernetics in your body absorb our bullets. What a predicament."

At that moment, three men fell through the trapdoor chute into the Seastone-lined cage to the left of the table.

"Ah, the Jabberwock Pirates," said Dello. "I had a feeling you'd show up. Don't bother trying any of your Devil Fruit nonsense - that cage is lined with Seastone. I have received word that the Marines will be arriving soon, to relieve me of my position; it seems that word of my 'atrocities' has spread beyond Port washington. But I will not be taken in, because I will turn in one of the up-and-coming pirate crews in the East Blue, like any law-abiding member of the World Government would do."

"Coward!" yelled Jabber. "Fight me, you jerk!"

"No need, captain," came a voice from the stairs. It was a tall, brown-haired man holding a rifle in both hands like a club. "I'll handle this."

"Turner!" cried Jabber.

"You think that you can defeat the mighty Dello Are?" Dello laughed. "Insolent boy! I ate the Ape-Ape Fruit model gorilla! I can transform into a form ten times as strong as you'll ever be!" Dello's skin darkened, covered with black fur. His face turned grey and the buttons on his vest popped out as he gained a substantial amount of girth. He finally resembled a half-human, half-gorilla being.

"Behold, my awesome might!" cackled Dello. "Pwahahahahahaha!"

"I'm not scared of you," said Turner. He charged at Dello. "Rifle Club Style: K-2 Slam!" He swung at Dello, knocking the ape-man back.

"Grrrr! You'll pay for that!" screamed Dello. He leapt at Turner and wrapped his arms around the brown-haired man in a bear hug. Turner dropped his rifle.

"Pwahahahaha! Prepare to be crushed to death!" yelled Dello. "Ape-Ape Heimlich!" He slowly began tightening his grip. Turner felt the air being forced from his lungs and his ribs cracking. He began feeling desperate.

_If I can just... reach the pistol... in my sash..._ he thought, struggling to reach the weapon.

"Fighting will only make it worse!" Dello laughed. "Give up!"

Turner reached his pistol. "Never!" he said, and shot the mayor in the chest.

"Graaah!" Dello screamed in pain, dropping Dello. Turner rushed over to the cage and freed his crewmates. Shank then used one of his knives to cut the ropes restraining Zephyr.

"Fools!" cried Dello. "So you've beaten me, so what? Who'll replace me as mayor, huh? Port Washington will fall into chaos!"

"I don't think so!" cried a female voice. Hikari and DCM were on the stairway. "As the former mayor's daughter," said Hikari, "I will follow in his footsteps as the new mayor of Port Washington!"

"Gaaaaaaaaah!" screamed Dello. He pressed a button on his belt. There was a _boom_, and the whole building shook, then began to fall apart.

"Pwahahahahaha! There was a bomb in the building!" cried Dello. "Now you will be crushed to death alongside me! I have the last laugh! You'll never escape in time!" The stair case collapsed. DCM and Hikari managed to get out of the way in time to avoid being crushed.

"Now there's no way out!" laughed Dello.

"I beg to differ," said Zephyr. He opened one of the capsules on his belt to reveal a syringe. "My arms are like this because my mother worked with radiation as part of her job," he explained. "This syringe contains one of the chemicals she worked with. If i inject it into one of the holes in my arms, i grow metal wings. In my legs, it creates metal legs that I can walk with. If I stick it into my chest's hole, however..." He did so. "If I do that, then I transform into a gigantic steel phoenix!"

And he did. it was a repulsive yet beautiful sight. Flesh turned to metal, mouth to beak, buttocks to tail feathers - and a fourfold increase in size.

"Hey, Jabber kid," said Zephyr, "can you punch a hole in the ceiling?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Good. Then punch one large enough for me to fly out of once I give the signal. NOw all of you, get on my back."

"I'm bringing him," said Jabber, pointing to Dello.

"WHAT?! Are you crazy?!" said Zephyr incredulously. "He tried to have us all killed!"

"But he never lied to me," said Jabber. "I think that only liars deserve to die."

"We don't have time for this!" cried Zephyr.

"Exactly. So decide. Either he goes with us, or I don't break the ceiling."

Zephyr sighed. "Fine. He can come."

"Cool!" said Jabber. "Shank, you carry him."

"WHY ME?!"

"'Cause I said so."

"Fine."

"Get on," said Zephyr. "We're getting out of here."


	14. Chapter 12

The Chronicles, Part 12: A ship and shipwright! The_Maraptor Tesoro_Shoves off!

The crew, riding Zephyr, burst from the collapsing offices. The people below did not notice them. They landed in alley, next to said people: a woman and a little girl, and a group of Marines, one of whom seemed familiar to Jabber.

"Please, I need to know," said the Marine leader, "was your daddy in that building? Your mommy refuses to say."

"Who're those girls?" Turner whispered to Hikari.

"They're the mayor's wife and daughter," replied Hikari.

"I won't tell you!" the girl said to the Marine. "You're gonna take him away!"

"Oh, no, no, no, no," said the Marine. "We're just going to... ask him a few questions."

Jabber's face contorted into a scowl. _It's him!_ he thought. _The lying Marine who killed Gharia!_ He walked out of the alley. One of his arms turned blue and reshaped its hand into a hammer. The Marine noticed him.

"What the--?" was all he could say before Jabber slammed the hammer into the side of his head.

"SPLASH-SPLASH HARD-WATER HAMMER!!" Jabber screamed.

"Here's the _former_ mayor," said Hikari, as she presented him to the Marines after walking out of the alley. "As his replacement, I can sentence him to any punishment I see fit for his crimes - as per one of his own laws," she added with a smirk. "I think that working for two years under the cyborg shipwrights will do nicely."

"That reminds me," said Shank. "Where _are_ the cyborg shipwrights?"

"They'd already left to build your ship when DCM showed up," she said. "They seemed confident that you'd save Zephyr."

"Speaking of your ship, it's finished!" cried a voice behind them. Locutus and Talos had returned. "Come and see it! Come! Come!"

"Let me get my wheelchair first," said Zephyr as his transformation wore off. he was once again human, dripping with sweat - and once again crippled. He nearly collapsed onto the ground, but Hikari caught him just in time.

After Zephyr had gotten his wheelchair, the group went to the westernmost dock, where a large caravel-class ship awaited them.

"It's called the _Maraptor Tesoro_," said Locutus.

It was a lovely green color, and on its sails and flags were their very own jolly roger.

"We took the liberty of designing it ourselves," said Talos. Do you like it?"

"I LOVE IT!" shouted Jabber. "Yes! Now we can go to the Grand Line, right?"

DCM sighed. "No, Jabber," he said, "we still need a cook."

"I know where you can get one," volunteered Hikari. "There's a sea restaurant not far from here called Gourmet Blue. You can ask around there."

"Cool! Thanks!" Jabber said. He glanced at Zephyr. "I guess you don't wanna come with us, huh?" he asked. "All right." He and the rest of the crew climbed onboard the _Tesoro_.

"Wait!" Zephyr suddenly shouted. "I take back what I said earlier! I want to go with you! Let me join your crew!"

Jabber grinned. "Of course!" he said. "Get on!"

Zephyr smiled. "Let me just get my backpack first," he said.

"You mean this?" Jabber asked, holding a brown backpack.

"How did that..." Zephyr started. Then he realized who had put it there. He turned to the other cyborgs. "You knew I was going to go out to sea with them all along, didn't you?"

Talos smiled and nodded. "Go," he said. "Become a great pirate."

"Hikari," Zephyr said, "you'd better be the greatest mayor in Port Washington's history. I expect nothing less."

Hikari smiled and nodded.

"I..." Zephyr began to cry. "I'll miss... every single one of you! Goodbye! I'll never, ever forget you!"

And so, the _Maraptor Tesoro_ set sail for Gourmet Blue, ready for the many adventures that lay ahead.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the East Blue, a former enemy lay in a small dinghy, cursing the three pirates that had defeated him...


	15. Chapter 13

The Chronicles, part 13: Side-story 1: "Admiral Jackson's High-Seas Adventure!"

The boat rocked and swayed on the current of the East Blue sea. The man sitting in it wore the uniform of a Navy Admiral, with an "X"-shaped hole in his shirt, and a matching scar on his chest. His brown hair was drenched in sweat, and he had started to grow a beard. It had been a week since he had eaten any food or drunk any water. There was water around him, of course - not that he could drink it, due to its salinity, and there were fish in the sea, though he had no fire to cook with (and he simply would _not_ stoop to savagely eating it raw). He was like Tantalus of West Blue legend - food and water all around him, but unable to consume it.

The man's name was Jackson. And he was cursing the three pirates who had beaten him.

_How did they do it?_ he wondered to himself. _I was the mighty 'Stone Fist' Jackson! True, I was considered the weakest Admiral, but no one had ever bested me in combat! And now look at me. Drifting aimlessly in a small dinghy with no sight of land since I left Tweety Kingdom. All my supplies have run out. I am in dire straits. All because of those three pirates!_ He remembered their faces: all had green eyes. The blonde-haired one - the captain - had Devil Fruit powers. The red-haired one, who he could only assume was the First Mate, could use soru. And the brown-haired one, the one called Turner... the sniper, he guessed, had been taken out quickly.

He had told Chief Petty Officer... no, _Lieutenant_ Hanson, now, to give them all bounties. He wondered what they were worth...

All this thinking distracted him from his surroundings, and he did not notice the island he was drifting toward until his boat hit it.

"Wha?" he said, startled, as the dinghy came ashore. He looked at the sign next to the shore and read it: _New Lotus Kingdom_, it said. _We can rebuild._

Lotus Kingdom... he remembered that place. he personally led the Buster Call that had obliterated it before. So, they had repopulated. Fancy that.

He walked up to a guest center to ask for some provisions. What he saw on the bulliten board, however, shocked him.

Wanted posters adorned it. there were some for the usual "terrors" of the East Blue: Arlong, Don Krieg, Buggy the Clown; he even saw a poster for "Demon Child" Nico Robin, the girl who sank six Buster Call battleships years ago. But now, he saw posters for the pirates who he had encountered: "Sea Tamer" Carroll D. Jabber. "Fake Blade" Shank Mo'Ziro. "Quickshot" Vincent Turner. Even one of the birds he had captured ("Bird Brain" DCM, apparently) had joined them. But that is not what shocked him. What shocked him was that _he_ now had a bounty of fifty million berri. _I should have expected this,_ thought Jackson. _I defected without warning. The Navy doesn't tolerate defectors._

At that moment, a commotion was heard outside. There were dozens of bounty hunters gathered! Someone must have seen him and reported him to the bounty hunters. He had no choice but to fight his way out.

"Tough-Tough Skin Armor!" he cried. Due to his scar, the armor was not as sturdy as it once was. he hoped it would be enough. He leapt outside and was immediately assaulted by gunfire, swords, and all other manner of weaponry. He began to be overwhelmed.

Suddenly, plants sprung up from out of the ground and attacked the bounty hunters. The living botanical structures made short work of the attackers.

"Well," said a female voice, "I think you owe me for that."

Jackson turned to see a female pirate in a striped shirt and brown captain's jacket. The woman had blue eyes and black hair kept in a ponytail with a rose affixed to it. "Name's Pat Briar, the lady pirate," the woman said. "Admiral Jackson, right?" Jackson nodded. "Well, Jackson," said Briar, "I just saved your life. You're gonna be on the run from people like that unless you, say... join my crew."

"Become a pirate?!" said Jackson. "Are you serious? I refuse."

"Fine," said Briar. "I guess you want to be torn apart by bounty hunters." She began to walk away.

"W-wait," said Jackson. "I changed my mind. I... I'll join up with you. Just help me against bounty hunters if any more try to kill me."

Briar laughed. "Sure thing. My ship, the _Lotus Eater_, is right over yonder. We're headed for the Grand Line soon. I'm looking for a certain man who broke a promise to me. I want revenge."

"Really?" asked Jackson. "Who is he?"

"His name," said Briar, "is Carroll D. Jabber."

Several weeks later, on the high seas, Jackson spotted the flag they were looking for.

"I see it!" he cried. "It's the emblem of the Jabberwock Pirates!"


	16. Chapter 14

The Chronicles, Part 14: Let's Eat! Sea Restaurant Gourmet Blue!

Shank rubbed his forehead as he lay on his back on the _Tesoro_'s deck. "Uhhhhh," he groaned. "I need some booze."

"It's not my fault you drank it all two days ago," said Turner. "You have only yourself to blame."

"But we were celebrating our new crewmate!" Shank protested. "And Jabber drank more than I did! Look, he's still hung over!"

Jabber groaned to confirm. "Stop yelling," he said.

"You're looking for grog, Shank?" asked Johan as he came up from the store room. "I think I saw one or two bottles down there. Maybe you should..."

"Soru!" Shank cried, and he sped into the store room.

"That reminds me, Zephyr," said Turner to their new shipwright. "Why _did_ you come along with us? Didn't you say that there was something keeping you?"

Zephyr nodded. "Yeah, a promise," he said. "But you guys fulfilled that for me."

***

_"You're the old mayor's daughter?" Zephyr asked Hikari, surprised.___

_The cyborg girl nodded. "Zephyr..." she said. "Zephyr, I don't want that man to be mayor. I wanna take my father's place. Please... will you promise me that someday you'll take down Dello and help me become mayor?"___

_Zephyr grinned. "Of course," he said. "It's a promise!"_

***

"You were right, Johan," said Shank. "There were two whole unopened bottles down there!"

"So, where are they?" the navigator asked, looking at Shank's empty hands.

"Oh, I drank 'em," the red-haired man replied.

"That's impossible!" insisted Johan. "No one can drink two bottles of grog that quickly!"

"No one but me," grinned Shank.

"Ho!" cried DCM from the crow's nest. "I see it, _kakaw_! The sea restaurant, Gourmet Blue!"

"We're here?" Jabber asked, bolting upright, his hangover apparently gone.

"Aye," said DCM.

"Bring us in to dock, Johan!" ordered Jabber.

"I'm on it," Johan replied.

***

The Jabberwock Pirates (sans Johan and Zephyr, who were tending to the ship) entered Gourmet Blue. They were greeted by four people.

The first wore a chef's uniform. He had black hair and brown eyes. A sword with a red-and-white striped hilt sat in its holster attached to his belt.

The second man was wearing an outfit befitting a soux-chef, with cuff links shaped like sevens. He had violet-colored hair and blue eyes.

The third man wore a plain cook's uniform. He had scarlet hair and matching eyes. A "v"-shaped scar was on his forehead.

The fourth person was actually a woman, who, like the third person, wore a cook's uniform. She had blonde hair and amber-colored eyes.

"Welcome to Gourmet Blue, the sea restaurant where your food is cooked in front of you! I'm Isaac Murphy, the head chef." He gestured towards the second person. "This is Putridos Felix, the soux-chef," he said. He pointed at the third person. "That's Confe Swit." He indicated the woman. "And this is Iwah Candi!"

"Glad to meet you," said Turner. "We're looking for some food to take with us on our journey."

"And lots of booze!" added Shank.

"And a cook for our crew!" cried Jabber.

"Food? Booze? Those I can provide," said Murphy. "Not sure about the cook, though. I'll have to ask the other cooks if they want to come along."

Jabber looked around the restaurant and noticed that not many people were there.

"Hey, how come the place is nearly empty?" he asked.

Murphy sighed. "A lot of our food has inexplicably been going bad lately," he said. "It's gotten to the point where few people want to eat here anymore. They're all going to places like the Baratie, even though that place is constantly being attacked by pirates.

"I'll see what food I can spare. Heh. I have half a mind to give you all we have, close down the place, and go off with you guys. But that'd be cowardly and irresponsible."

He glanced at the pirates. "It'll take a while to make all those meals. First I'll have to decide which foods to mix with which. I ate the Mix-Mix Fruit, so I can fuse food items and create all kinds of amazing flavors. I'll have your stuff tomorrow, so just stay on your ship until then."

Jabber grinned. "thanks!" he said. "Let's go back to the _Tesoro_, guys."

As soon as they were out of the restaurant, Jabber turned to the others and declared: "I like that head chef. I've decided. He's gonna be our cook!"


End file.
